It's kinda ironic that the book of the Bible which starts so many theological arguments and separations is the very book in which Paul challenged the church to NOT argue and quarrel. I never noticed the beauty and power behind this book before! I knew a lot of the verses, a lot of the beliefs that have come from them. But when I sat down for a few hours and just read the book as a whole, it changed my perspective so much.
This book of the Bible is all about the Gospel--just like every book of the Bible! It's all about Jesus.
Paul starts and ends with the Gospel. He is not just making theological statements on order in the church. Actually, he's rebuking the Corinthians for their reliance on human wisdom. He says very strongly in 3:1-2, "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready."
And why does he say this? Because of the poor theological choices of the Corinthians? Not really. It's because of their pride in their own wisdom.
You see, the Corinthians were Greek; their culture was all about philosophy and enlightenment. In that time, they were arguing over who to follow and who to agree with. Some of them didn't even like Paul and had just developed their own philosophy of what they thought Jesus was all about. This led to major division in the church, but worse, according to 1:17, it began to destroy the power of the Cross. For if we can explain the Cross and who God is simply by our own intellect, what is the point? God is so much greater than our intellect--and this is why He uses foolish things. Things that make no sense to us. This is why His ways are so confusing. Because He wants to free us from our own understanding!
"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom..." (1:25)
"...we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began." (2:7)
What is the beauty and wisdom of God?
"We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless." (4:10-11)
Perhaps God's beauty can actually be found in the things that don't make sense. Maybe that's when He speaks most clearly to us. After all, by human standards, the Cross is utter foolishness. And yet it was the most beautiful act in all history.
Paul goes on to address various issues in the church of Corinth. Most of them have to do with pride. The church allowed sexual immorality to go on undealt with, they were talking over each other during their meetings, they were trying to add to the Gospel and some were integrating idolatry and selfish habits into their faith.
At the end of the letter, Paul says, "Now brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain." (15:1-2)
This is the point of it all. The Gospel. Jesus. We don't need to overcomplicate it with human wisdom or intellect or pride. When we know Jesus, we begin to understand His standards for living. We joyfully submit to His words.
I hope that, like me, this takes some pressure off your shoulders! Our ultimate goal should be knowing and loving Jesus. This sounds so childlike it's almost offensive, but seriously--we can't really know how to live until we KNOW HIM.
Jesus destroy my own wisdom so that I can know the wisdom of Your Kingdom!!!!
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